Broiler rack operating mechanism



Dec; 30, 1941. C, HARDWICVK 2,268,481

BROILER RACK OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1941 Patented Dec. 30,1941 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE 2,268,481 y BROILER RACK OPERATINGMECHANISM Christopher L. Hardwick, Cleveland, Tenn.

Application June 25, 1941, Serial No. 399,697

2 claims.

'My invention relates to gas stoves and ranges and more particularly tomeans for automatically moving the broiling rack or drawer into and outof the oven compartment.

The general object of the invention is to provide improved means formanipulating the rack which will obviate the danger of burning the handsof the user incident to the manual removal of the rack from the oven.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the description isproceeded with.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a section taken on the line I-I of Figure 2, showing thepositions assumed by the toggle mechanism when the oven door is in openand closed positions respectively; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front View of a range embodying the inventionand showing the broiler oven door in open position, the broiling panbeing shown in section.

Referring more particularly to the drawing I denotes a table top rangeprovided with broiling and baking ovens or compartments 2 and 3respectively. The door opening 4 of the broiler oven 2 is normallyclosed by a door 5 hinged to one side wall 6, of the range I, forswinging about a horizontal axis. Mounted for sliding movement throughthe door opening 4, in a manner presently described, is a broiler rackl, formed with spaced iianges or ledges 8 on the inner faces of the sidewalls 9 thereof. These anges 8 are adapted to slidably and removablyreceive and support a conventional broiling pan I at the desired height.

A pair of brackets II secured to the opposing side walls I2 of thebroiler oven 2 support horizontally disposed flat metal strips I3 whichare suitably secured to the brackets by welding or the like. Mounted onthe opposite ends of these strips are rollers I4 for slidably supportingthe broiler rack for movement through the door opening 4. Thus flangesI5 formed on or suitably attached to the outer faces of the side walls 9of these racks seat upon the rollers I4 and in effect form tracks forthe rollers.

In order that the broiler rack 'I may be automatically actuated by theopening and closing of the door 5, I provide a toggle mechanismconnection I6 between the door 5 and the rack. This mechanism comprisesa lever II projecting at right angles from the inner face or wall I8 ofthe door 5 at a level slightly below the horizontal plane of the bottomwall of the rack. Suitable means, not shown, is employed to anchor thelever to the inner face of the door, adjacent the hinged edge thereof. Asecond lever I9 is pivoted at its inner or rear end toa headed pin orbolt 2D extending through the bottom wall 2| of the rack 'I at a, pointmidway the side walls and considerably to the rear of its open front end22. This lever I9 extends forwardly and to the left viewing Figure 1,and is pivoted to the free end of the lever Il, by means of a headedbolt 23. A coil spring 24 connected at one end to the lever I1 by meansof a bolt or the like 25, is connected at its other end to the pin 20,the spring being provided with hooked end portions 26 to facilitateassembly. Spacer sleeves 21 and 28 on the pins or bolts and 25respectively, serve to accurately space the ends of the spring 24, withrespect to the levers I'I and I9 and the bottom wall 2l, of the broilerrack 1, so that the body of the springwill have ample clearance forlateral movement, relatively to the levers, to and from one side or theother of dead center position. Nuts 30 retain the hooked ends of thespring 24 and the adjacent ends of the levers in place.

In the normal or closed position of the door 5, the lever I1 projectsrearwardly into the oven 2 a short distance parallel with and close tothe left hand side wall I2 thereof and also parallel to the side walls 9of the rack 1. The lever I9 will now extend rearwardly and to the rightat an angle of about forty-five degrees, viewing Figure 1, where it ispivoted to the bottom wall of the rack 'I at a point somewhat to theright of the longitudinal center of the racky also viewing Figure 1.

Should the housewife desire to withdraw the broiler rack through theoven door 4, for inspection or other purposes, it is merely necessaryfor her to swing the door 5 outwardly on its hinges to open position.This causes the rack to move outwardly with the door under the action ofthe toggle mechanism I6, the side iianges I5 riding on the rollers I4 inan obvious manner during this movement. When the door has been moved toapproximately half open position, against the tension of compressionspring 24, the latter and the two levers I1 and I9 will extend in acommon direction and the toggle mechanism will be on dead center. Inthis position the bolts 20 and will be spaced apart to the maximumextent and the spring 24 will be correspondingly stretched or extended.Further outward movement of the door will now break the dead centerposition of the levers whereupon the leverage and resilient pull ofspring 24 between the points 20 and 25 will automatically and rapidlymove the door to the full open position, with the spring assuming acontracted position to the left of pivot point 23 and levers l1 and I9.These movements of the door, which in practice are practicallycontinuous, result in the rack being projected through the door openingsufliciently for the maximum convenience in cooking operations. Thespring 24 securely maintains the door against accidental movement fromits open and closed positions, that is, some little effort is requiredto overcome the pull of spring 24, during the movement of the latter toand through dead center position. In closing the door the movements ofthe parts, as just described, are reversed. It will thus be seen thatdue to the action of spring 24 the iinal opening and closing movementsof the door are accelerated and positively and automatically effected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A stove comprising a broiling compartment having side walls and adoor opening, brackets secured to said side walls, rollers supported bysaid brackets, a broiler rack having inwardly extending ledges forsupporting a pan and formed with outwardly extendingV anges seating onsaid rollers for slidable movement through said door opening, a doorhinged to one of said side walls for normally closing said opening, alever fixed to said door, a second lever pivoted at one end to said rstmentioned lever and at its other end pivoted to the bottom Wall of saidrack, and a coil spring connected at one end to the fixed lever and atits other end connected to the front of the rack whereby initialmovement of the door and rack in one direction to cause the spring andlevers to assume a dead center aligned position Will be resisted by thespring, and further movement in the same direction to cause the springand the levers to assume a disaligned off-center position will beautomatically accelerated by the action of the spring.

2. A stove comprising a broiling compartment having side walls and adoor opening, a broiler rack having oppositely and inwardly extendingpan supporting ledges, cooperating means on said rack and the side Wallsof said compartment supporting said rack for slidable movement throughsaid door opening, -a door hinged to one of said side walls normallyclosing said opening, toggle mechanism comprising a pair of pivotallyconnected levers one of which is xed to said door and the other pivotedto said rack where

